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Queen Henrietta Maria

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A description of Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I.  It covers her upbringing and how she, a French catholic princess came to marry the English protestant prince.

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Henrietta Maria was born in November sixteen oh nine, daughter of the French King Henry the fourth. Regarded by many in England as a precocious child, Henrietta was schooled in horse riding, singing and dancing and had received religious instructions from Carmelite nuns. She married Prince Charles after receiving a special dispensation from the Pope, as this was the first time a catholic princess was to marry a protestant prince. This was believed to be a political move to ally England with France against Spain. Henrietta Maria believed in the divine rights of kings. Many believed that she was behind some of the poor decisions made by Charles and that she was very much a catholic cuckoo in the nest. In February sixteen forty two when it looked likely that civil war would break out she went to Holland to raise money and men for the war by obtaining loans and selling jewels. She managed to raise a considerable sum and sent several convoys of weapons and men to her husband’s cause.
Eras: 
17th Century
English Civil War
Topics: 
Civil War
Kings & Queens
Character: 
17th century lady
Key words: 
English civil war, civil war, 17th century, Henrietta Maria, 1609, princess, King Henry IV, catholic, carmelite nuns, Prince Charles, King Charles I, protestant, prince, France, Spain ally, England, divine rights of kings, 1642, royalist, KS3, key stage 3, key stage 3 history, secondary, KS3 videos, KS3 clips, KS3 history, KS3 videos, KS3 history film, KS3 history clip, 17th Century, 17thC, 17C, 17th C, civil war, English civil war, Y7, Y8, Y9, Year 7, year 8, year 9